Exploring Saint Paul's historic district

Looking for fun ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your loved ones? Here are some ideas, ranging from the traditional – a lovely meal or dancing – to the unusual – snowshoeing or Victorian poetry, anyone?

Though February 14th is sold out, they’ve added a seating on the 13th for this romantic candlelit dinner among the indoor gardens of St. Paul’s lush conservatory. String music, limited wine and beer, and animal ambassadors will enhance your experience, as will the opportunity to bask in the humidity and warmth in the midst of a dry St. Paul February.

If you want to make Valentine’s a full day experience, or enjoy the atmosphere of the conservatory and have dinner elsewhere, there are other events during the day, including the Winter Flower Show, and a chance to meet the conservatory’s gardeners at 1:00.

Looking for something a little unusual to do with your loved ones? Maybe something outdoors? The Three Rivers Park District offers events ranging from Candlelit Trails to a Victorian Valentine’s Dinner to a Valentine’s Snowshoe Hike to a Lovebirds’ Local Foods Dinner and Sleigh Rides. All their events but one (which is sold out) are happening the weekend before Valentine’s Day, so you could choose off Three River’s menu and do something on the day, if you want to make an extravaganza of the holiday this year.

Three River Parks District is in Hennepin County, so a little bit of a drive from the B&B, but well worth it. Check out the webpage for more information on individual events.

“Love is in the air, so join us for a special night of ballroom dancing with The Dancers Studio Family! Includes complimentary glass of champagne at the door, dessert and cash bar throughout the evening.

“Celebrate Valentine’s Day the old-fashioned way by enjoying classic 19th century poetry in the James J. Hill House drawing room. Actors Craig Johnson, Laura Salveson and Ann Daly, wearing 1890s eveningwear, will perform a wide range of humorous and stirring poems by Dickinson, Poe, Longfellow, Browning and more dealing with love, romance, temperance, sports and war—even poems about James J. Hill! Audience members are also invited to bring a short Victorian poem to read aloud throughout the evening.”

“Historian Stewart Van Cleve blends oral history, archival narrative, newspaper accounts and fascinating illustrations to paint a remarkable picture of Minnesota’s queer history. Van Cleve will present from his book “Land of 10,000 Loves: A History of Queer Minnesota,” which explores the sacrifices, scandals and victories that have affected and continue to affect the lives of queer Minnesotans.

“Stewart Van Cleve is a former assistant curator of the Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies at the University of Minnesota.”

O’Gara’s is celebrating their 75th anniversary this year with a St. Paddy’s tent party blowout. You can get corned beef and cabbage, a Shamrock burger, or other Irish goodies. Accompany it with some beer or a good whisky.

This week they’re serving music with their food. Check their website for additional events, but here’s their schedule for the day itself.

Noon – 4 pm: Hang out with Ben and Dana for the Go 96.3 Morning Show and test your luck on the Irish prize wheel for a chance to win some cool prizes.

This downtown restaurant will be opening at 10:00 am on the 17th for the convenience of parade-goers, and offering a limited St. Patrick’s Day menu including corned beef and cabbage, corned beef sandwiches, salmon, and clam chowder.

The St. Paul Grill (the restaurant at the St. Paul Hotel) will have a stand on 5th & Market for the downtown St. Patrick’s Day Parade starting at 10:30 am. They’ll be serving Reuben sliders with sweet potato chips, Guinness, Jameson Ginger, and Bailey’s & Coffee. They’ll be serving their regular menu inside.

Shamrock’s has a full day of events planned for St. Patrick’s day, extending into the weekend, including a special menu, a tent party, movies, and “all things green.” You can find more information on their Facebook page.

While you’re visiting the B&B this week, help St. Paul celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The city takes the wearin’ o’ the green seriously, and here are some ways you can wear your Irish proudly (even if you’re not Irish at all!).

This year marks the 50th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade through downtown St. Paul. Held rain, snow, or shine on March 17th (unless it falls on a holy day or Sunday), it’s a wildly popular event, with lots of bands, dancers, community groups, and wearing of the green, but only a few vehicles for dignitaries. The parade culminates with the crowning of Ms. Shamrock, and is put on by the St. Patrick’s Association.

Thurs, March 17th at noon. (You’ll want to arrive early for good viewing.)
It runs down 5th Street, starting at Sibley Street and ending at Rice Park.

If you’re eager to dance instead of watch, this is the event for you. This is traditional Irish folk dance, with a caller, and it’s a great family event. Beginners are welcome. Beverages and desserts available.

The Winter Carnival, a tradition since 1886, is the oldest winter festival in the U.S. It was a response by local business owners to newspaper reports that the cold made the state virtually uninhabitable, and was designed to show off the beauties, and fun, of a Minnesota winter.

The legend of the Winter Carnival centers around King Boreas, God of the Winds, and the Queen of Snows, who are holding court in St. Paul. They’re challenged by Vulcanus Rex, the God of Fire, Boreas’ implacable enemy. Boreas proclaims Carnival in St. Paul for ten days, and on the final day Vulcanus Rex storms Boreas’ ice castle. Not wanting to incite violence, Boreas retreats back to Olympus to dwell among the other gods there, and waits for ice and snow to enrobe St. Paul again next year.

This story is acted out every year, with the courts of King Boreas, his brother winds, their princesses, and court officials, and Vulcanus Rex and his followers, and proceeds with the proper pomp and ceremony.

The nexus of the carnival is Rice Park, located downtown St. Paul, where the ice sculptures are carved and displayed. This year there’s also a mini ice palace, made of 400 blocks of ice, an ice bar, and live music. Elsewhere are parades, the Snow Park with all sorts of fun family activities, the Disc Golf Ice Bowl, a snow plow competition, a cat show, and a winter run.

And then there’s the Treasure Hunt. Daily clues appear in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and if you decode them correctly they point the way to the medallion’s hiding place and a fair amount of money. Otherwise you get fresh air, exercise, and the joy of the hunt. This is a very popular tradition, with thousands of people participating and some very active online forums debating the minutiae of the clues. You can see evidence of the searchers’ enthusiasm in the missing piece of the Medallion above.

“Experience the sights, sounds and tastes of a Victorian Christmas in 1875. During the guided tour, guests can taste homemade cookies fresh from the wood burning stove, listen to popular holiday music of the era played on the family’s Steinway piano, and view original family ornaments and Christmas gifts. Discover how the Ramsey family and their friends, neighbors and servants prepared for and celebrated the Christmas season. Shop in the Carriage House gift store for replica Victorian ornaments and holiday items.

The 60-minute guided tours start every half hour with the last tour starting at 3:30 pm. A Victorian Christmas at the Ramsey House runs Wednesdays through Sundays Nov. 27, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016, except Dec. 25.

“The bustle and excitement of a Gilded Age Christmas is brought to life as the servants of the James J. Hill House prepare for the holidays. Costumed actors portray people who worked for the Hill family in a dramatized portrayal of servant life and holiday preparations at the Hill family’s Summit Avenue mansion. The program moves through the elegant first floor spaces and then to the basement servant work areas. The script is based on letters and oral histories of people who worked for the Hill family during the first decade of the 20th century.

Tours leave every half hour, and Hill House Holidays runs Saturdays and Sundays from Dec. 5-27.

“Join the Ghost of Mill City Past for an intimate look at the 1920 Washburn Crosby holiday party in this unique play set in the museum’s Flour Tower elevator ride. Scenes unfold on different floors where the audience meets characters drawn from the pages of the company’s employee newspaper, the Eventually News. Witness the rocky romance of Celia and Otto; meet marketing mastermind Benjamin S. Bull; experience the awesome sweeping power of Bill Smith and learn the secret origin of the Washburn Crosby marketing slogan, “Eventually—Why Not Now?”

Performances are at 6, 7 and 8 pm. Recommended for ages 8 and older. Ticket includes museum admission and refreshments after the play.

“The European Christmas Market in St. Paul is based on the traditional, charming, and festive open air Christkindlmarkts that spring up in Germany, Austria and other countries during the Advent season. Shop for unique, handmade holiday gifts and decorations from local vendors, drink Glühwein (spiced mulled wine), and taste European inspired food and delicacies during the first two weekends in December:

The new operas for the 2009-2010 season have been posted for the Minnesota Opera. Why not try one of the fabulous offerings: The Pearl Fishers, Casanova’s Homecoming, Roberto Devereaux, La boheme or Salome. Then make a reservation at Cathedral Hill B&B for your pampered (we do spoil people!) lodging because the B&B is only 10 minutes from the Ordway where the operas will be performed.

This weekend it is going to be very hot and just in time for the annual Irish Fair at Harriet Island, a short 5-10 minute drive from Cathedral Hill Bed and Breakfast. If you are from St. Paul you know that there was a significant Irish population immigrating here at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The Irish Fair is free, so be sure to meander on down to take in some Irish dancing.

Be sure to plan to come to Saint Paul during state fair time. It is the last rite of summer, and a great get together. Whether you are a fan of the animal barns and enormous boar, the midway, the creative activities or a special show, plan to be here sometime between August 27 through September 7. Cathedral Hill Bed and Breakfast still has some rooms open during that time too!

If you are staying at Cathedral Hill Bed and Breakfast on July 10, 11, 16,17 or 18, it might be a lot of fun to go the Como Park (about a ten minute drive from here) and go see The Music Man at the pavillion. The tickets are only $10 and the outside venue is just delightful.

The fireworks at the Taste of Minnesota are rated some of the best in the nation. The fireworks show plays every night at 10 pm. This year there are multiple music acts and fun family activities.

The Taste of Minnesota is located on Harriet Island which is not far from Cathedral Hill Bed and Breakfast. We still have some rooms available, so hurry and reserve one! The dates of The Taste of Minnesota are July 2-5.